The Yankees wasted a nice effort by Andy Pettitte in Game 2 of the ALDS. And, now, I would not be shocked if this series goes to five games.

The Yankees really need Hiroki Kuroda to pitch well in Game 3. You never know what you’re going to get with Phil Hughes in Game 4 – especially the way he allows homeruns and the way the Orioles hit them.

The Yankees bats, sans the meltdown by Johnson in the 9th inning in Game 1, have not been impressive, overall, in these first two games. New York needs to improve there.

Worst of all, the Yankees had the Orioles pinned down on the emotional mat after Game 1. And, now, they let them back up. Baltimore can now savor this win, a wonderful victory for their franchise in so many ways, for a solid 40 hours before they have to play again. That’s a lot of time for it to resonate in system and add spring to their step.

New York needs to win Game 3 now and stop this wave which the Orioles are building. If you are the Yankees, you do not want to be down two games to one in this series with Phil Hughes going for you in Game 4. Sure, anything can always happen. But, if the Orioles do win Game 3, they will smell the blood in the water and it will be very, very, tough for New York and Phil Hughes to win Game 4.

Comments on Baltimore Vs. New York LDS Now Best 2 of 3

Steve I agree with you that Game 2 is a big game but its not as much if you win the first game. Now I’d feel much better going into game 3 with Pettitte on the mound instead of Kuroda. I mean Andy pitch very well tonight and good enough where the Yanks should of won but they didn’t so like you said its a wasted effort. I agree Game 3 is a big game…whoever loses is forced into 2 elimination games. I just hope Kuroda can keep the O’s down and the Yanks can jump out with a few runs early.

Also, Girardi and Long better come up with a plan, between now and Game 3, on how to beat Miguel Gonzalez.

Small sample size, but Chavez is 3 for 6 with a HR against Gonzalez. He doesn’t get it up past 94 according to PitchFx, but if I was Girardi, I’d draft up this line-up and go to town:

Jeter, Ichiro, Tex, Cano, Swisher, Chavez, Granderson, Martin, Ibanez

Though Swisher and Granderson are both struggling, there isn’t exactly any shining alternatives sitting on the bench to come into play. You got Chavez there for a reason… and he isn’t hurt. Use him for a game. It wouldn’t hurt.

Would Girardi ever do it though?

I don’t know what you do with Swisher or Granderson though. Swisher is currently 1-for-33 with RISP in the post-season. Worse than A-Rod, Tex, or anyone else. It’s unbelievable.

@ Evan3457:
Seems like MLB in general has lately become a “power” game with pitchers throwing 95+ mph, and hitters taking all-or-nothing swings, leading to high HR and strikeout numbers and low batting averages. When there are no HR’s like last night, there is almost no scoring.

I was hoping that at least in the postseason, batters would figure out how to shorten their swings and just make contact, especially in a game like last night where the home plate umpire is calling low and wide strikes for both pitchers. But that just doesn’t seem possible for guys like A-Rod, Swisher or Granderson.

I’d rather have a lineup of hitters like Jeter, Ichiro, Nunez, even Gardner. At least they’re capable of making solid contact with pitches off the middle of the plate, and can get on base and move baserunners along. That’s more like what the great Yankee teams of the late ’90′s were able to do. This team is just uncomfortable to watch.

Yankees win Game 3 and then maybe they can win Game 4 or Game 5. Anything can happen in a Game 5, if they can get there.

But, if the Yankees lose Game 3, and have their backs against the wall, with Hughes on the mound, I can see this thing ending in four games. Showalter won’t allow it to go five if he can win it in four. He will play Game 4 like it’s sudden death, must win.

We all know Girardi doesn’t have the guts to take A-Rod out of the line-up. I expect he’ll be batting third again tomorrow night just like the last 2. As for Swisher, he can’t leave via free agency fast enough for me. He does put up very respectable numbers in the regular season but we have a large enough sample now to know he is a complete post-season bust.

We all know Girardi doesn’t have the guts to take A-Rod out of the line-up.

As someone else — might’ve been Evan — pointed out in a different thread, moving him down only works if you have another hitter that can reasonably be moved up to his spot.

LMJ229 wrote:

As for Swisher, he can’t leave via free agency fast enough for me.

Be careful what you wish for. The same people that bitterly complain about how the Yankees don’t have enough “non-stars” around the diamond or that the Yankees don’t have OF’ers in the minors ready to fill in are the same people that can’t wait to drive Swisher out of town.

Swisher is a good player. He may have put up bad numbers in his Yankees playoff career but that doesn’t diminish his talent and utility to the team. It’s always funny how people base sweeping judgements on players based on the handful of at-bats they get in three or four games in October.

we have a large enough sample now to know [Swisher] is a complete post-season bust.

Nick Swisher, playoff stats (2009-present):

30 G, 123 PA, 106 AB, .160/.262/.321

I won’t ever argue that a batting line like that is any good. But I also won’t ever argue that 30 games and 106 AB’s is a good sample. That’s, what, a shade under one fifth of a regular season? If that were Swisher’s batting line in early May, you’d say you had a good enough sample to know that he wasn’t going to turn it around?

With the righty going tomorrow I’d like to see Girardi really load up on our lefties. I’d DH Ibanez and play Chavez at 3rd. But I don’t think Girardi has the guts to sit A-Rod. In that case, I’d sit Swisher, move Ichiro to right and have Ibanez play left. Chavez can then DH.

With the righty going tomorrow I’d like to see Girardi really load up on our lefties. I’d DH Ibanez and play Chavez at 3rd. But I don’t think Girardi has the guts to sit A-Rod. In that case, I’d sit Swisher, move Ichiro to right and have Ibanez play left. Chavez can then DH.